“He’s Gone to Rest”: Internet Mourns South Africa’s Oom Jan, One of the World’s Oldest Men

• A South African man named Jan Steenberg recently died at the age of 121 and was surrounded by his loved ones
• Jan, who had worked as a fisherman, gold caddie, and grave digger, shared what he thought allowed him to live a long life
• Many people on the internet who heard about his death shared messages of condolences in the comment section

Jan Steenberg, affectionately known as Oom Jan, died on New Year's Day at the impressive age of 121, a day after he celebrated his birthday. While not formally recognised by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest man, Oom Jan was seen as one of South Africa's oldest.

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According to the Daily Mail, Jan, who passed away in Colchester in the Eastern Cape, died of an asthma attack hours after the celebrations. He was surrounded by family and is survived by two daughters and two grandchildren. The publication reported that the centenarian was an avid smoker who began when he was just 14 years old.

During a 2025 interview, the former fisherman, gold caddie, and grave digger credited God for allowing him to live that long, adding that God was his oxygen and saviour.

Internet users mourn Oom Jan

In a Facebook post, members of the online community filled the comment section with 'RIP' messages and formed conversations about the 121-year-old man's death.

Linda Lancaster stated in the comments:

"121 years old. He lived long, way past the 'expectation.'"

Cassino Kalu told the online community:

"He's gone to rest."

George Lyne wrote under the post:

"I hope he left his body to science so they can figure out how he did it."

3 More stories about the oldest people in the world

• In another article, Briefly News reported that one woman, Margaret Maritz, became a living legend upon reaching the 100-year mark.
• Johanna Mazibuko celebrated her 128th birthday in 2022 and shared what she attributed to her long life.
• In 2024, six sisters broke the record as the oldest-living siblings, with a combined age of 570 years and 40 days.

Source: Briefly News